The Strix brand, ASUS’ new performance-to-premium gaming brand, was launched in May of 2014. Modeled around the mythological Roman owl. In it’s line up is the Strix Claw (a 5000 DPI optical mouse), the Strix DSP (7.1 ch. USB headset), the Strix glide control/speed mouse pads, and the Strix Tactic Pro gaming mechanical keyboard. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Strix Tactic Pro keyboard to see if meets expectations and lives up to the ASUS name.

Mini PC’s are a crucial part for a media center PC and even small compact gaming PC’s. With the Raijintek Metis Classic computer case, system builders can now build even smaller and more compact media center or gaming PC’s. This lightweight aluminum case supports mini-ITX motherboards and even a full size ATX power supply. The Metis comes in a variety of colors to choose from. These colors include red, black, silver, blue, green and gold. Benchmark Reviews has been given this gold sample for this review. With the right hardware components, the Metis can be turned into the perfect computer for the living room and even a high-performance gaming machine in a small form factor.

After Cougar’s fully featured 700K mechanical keyboard & 700M aluminum gaming mouse were released in 2014, a streamlined mechanical 600K & ergonomic 600M followed close behind. It’s not surprising then, in early 2015, that Benchmark Reviews has the opportunity to take a closer look at Cougar’s newest gaming keyboard; the 500K.

As the size of information stored in the cloud grows increasingly larger, IT managers must plan on getting data out of the cloud when it’s critically needed during disaster recovery. For some businesses, the cloud is a place to deposit a second copy of data already retained locally. For others the cloud is primary storage, where unique data is created and modified. Problems arise in both cases: when local data is lost due to fire, flood, or theft, when the data is too large for a timely transfer across limited Internet bandwidth, or when a cloud provider shuts down. This all begs the question: is redundant data in place?

EVGA continues their expansion into the peripherals market with the introduction of their TORQ peripherals line; today, we have the new EVGA Torq X5 Gaming Mouse to review. Benchmark Reviews has previously looked at the EVGA TORQ X10 Gaming Mouse and we liked it enough to give it our highest rating. The new X5 Gaming Mouse sacrifices a few features for a lower price point, but how does it perform? Let’s find out.

This case, the Sentey Optimus Plus, features a large side panel window instead of fan mounts. Additional features include a fan controller, filtered intakes, a dedicated cooling fan for hard drives, and a SD card reader. These features come at an additional premium though when compared to other cases in the same price range. In this Benchmark Reviews article, I will discuss the Optimus Plus in depth and whether or not this is a good mid budget case for your next build.

It is clear what NVIDIA’s message is to the enthusiast community, they are willing to be competitive. To further confirm this claims, the release price of the GeForce GTX 960 is just $199 for the basic models, a bit more for the feature packed ones like the Asus Strix sample that we will be reviewing today. In comparison to it’s predecessor, the GeForce GTX 960 comes in at around 20% cheaper than it’s predecessor, the GeForce GTX 760.

Like many other popular Micro-ATX cases, Raidmax has opted for a dual chamber design. However, note that this is not as wide as others like the Fractal Design Node 804, but still manages to fit plenty of fans, 3.5″ and 2.5″ drives, and they even added a 5.25″ bay. The case is not exactly eye candy, however many HTPC users will find that the overall design is not flashy, but rather elegant and simple. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Raidmax Hyperion Micro-ATX computer case.

Here at Benchmark Reviews we have seen a lot of Cougar products come through as of late. Today we are proud to review something a little different, the Cougar 600K mechanical keyboard featuring Cherry MX Blue switches. There are quite a few things that make this keyboard unique and set it apart from it’s previous flagship keyboard, the Cougar 700K. The feature set alone from the 600K create a special synergy for typing purists that not only puts it in a class of its own, but definitely needs further examination.

The Core series by Thermaltake launched with the E-ATX full tower Core V71 last year. Since then, Thermaltake has expanded into the mid-tower (V31, V41, V51) and mini-ITX (V1) form factors. The Core V21 that Benchmark Reviews will take a look at today rounds out Thermaltake’s lineup with their first micro-ATX Core offering. At first glance, the Core V21 shares many design similarities with the other Core chassis. As is true with many things in life, looks can be deceiving as the V21 is the first Core chassis to officially offer a multitude of motherboard orientations. While it arrives in stock format with a horizontal motherboard layout, it can be transformed in a matter of seconds to a traditional or inverted layout. We’ll see how this works as we build a system inside the Core V21 over the next few pages.

The Kingston HyperX Cloud II Pro Gaming Headset is much like it’s predecessor in both features and aesthetics. The HyperX Cloud II features 7.1 channel virtual surround, which is accomplished with an advanced USB audio control box with built-in DSP sound card. The Cloud II still retains the ability to function with other devices that utilize a 3.5mm plug, including cell phones, tablets, and gaming console controllers. In this article, Benchmark Reviews will investigate how well Kingston delivers this revamp to it’s acclaimed HyperX Cloud headset.

Want to build a gaming system on a budget? Then you have to know where to spend your money to get the best bang for the buck. It’s always tempting to go for the flashy, high end motherboards with tons of extra features, but you may find that those extra features don’t buy you much in the way of extra performance. Micro Star International has sent Benchmark Reviews their MSI 970 Gaming motherboard, claiming they’ve gone beyond the specifications of the AMD 970 chipset. What kind of basis does this make for a gaming rig? Let’s find out.

Here at Benchmark Reviews we admire those companies who not only give relentless effort to create the best product designs in terms of efficiency, quality, and functionality, but we also applaud those who try to set themselves apart in what is an already crowded market by bringing forth new ideas and daring to take risks. Surprisingly, this seems to be a trend for Phanteks; the relatively young company that is looking forward to create it’s own market of dual system cases with the release of the Enthoo Mini XL “Super Micro-ATX” Computer Case.

AMD released a slew of new FX-series CPUs in September, 2014, including the FX-8370, FX-8370E, and the subject of our review, the FX-8320E. This is the low end of AMD’s eight-core FX series of enthusiast CPUs, and the “E” suffix marks it as a low-power variant; nonetheless, AMD touts it as a viable CPU for a gaming system. Benchmark Reviews will run this CPU through our gauntlet of tests to see how true this is.

It is my opinion that in-vehicle cameras have become a necessity for modern drivers. The streets are a dangerous place for motorists, with heavy traffic congestion and driver distractions adding risk to everything from long trips to short commutes. Defensive driving will help prevent some accidents, but every moment after getting into the vehicle is wrought with random chance and uncertainty. It’s never been a question of if you’ll someday be involved in an traffic accident or the victim or violent road rage, it’s a question of when. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the PAPAGO! GoSafe 272 Dashcam.

LG G Flex2 Smartphone Released Experience a Smartphone That is Truly Ahead of the Curve With the world’s largest mobile industry event, Mobile World Congress (MWC), set to begin next week in Barcelona, LG Electronics (LG) today announced the global rollout of its eagerly anticipated curved smartphone, G Flex2. Major carriers in the United States, …

LUXA2 TX-P2 Wireless Charging Power Bank Launched Thermaltake Mobile – LUXA2, a market leader in power, audio and holder solutions, is pleased to announce the arrival of a new addition to their wireless power charging family: TX-P2 10,000mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank. The TX-P2 is a powerful new wireless charging power bank designed for even …

ORIGIN OMEGA Home Theater PC Released ORIGIN PC launched today their new line of home theater PCs, the ORIGIN OMEGA, for gamers and enthusiasts all over the world. The ORIGIN PC OMEGA is the ultimate Home Theater PC designed to bring the power and flexibility of a PC to any living room. Featuring a variety …

Teradek VidiU Mini Encoder Announced The Company aims to revolutionize live streaming with the new Create:Share initiative Teradek, a manufacturer of professional video transmission equipment, has announced a new H.264 encoder, theVidiU Mini, along with an accompanying iPad Production Suite called Live:Air (pronounced Live to Air). Both products are part of Teradek’s new Create:Share (pronounced Create …

Everspin MR10Q010-EVAL MRAM-Based Shield Evaluation Board Debuts Everspin to display the 1Mb Quad SPI MR10Q010-EVAL at Embedded World 2015 with the NUCLEO-F411RE from STMicroelectronics Everspin Technologies, Inc., the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of discrete and embedded MRAM, today announced a new MRAM-based shield evaluation board that is designed for compatibility with any Arduino-derived host platform …

ASUSTOR Surveillance Center 2.2 Software Launched ASUSTOR launches Surveillance Center 2.2, the newly upgraded version of its stable and reliable NVR software for NAS devices. New functions include support for the ONVIF Profile S (2.4.1) standard protocol, interactive electronic maps, support for the newest version of Safari (8.0.2) for Mac and increased Mac system display …

LG Magna, Spirit, Leon, and Joy Mid-Range Smartphones Unveiled Better Grip, In-Cell Touch Display and Intuitive UX Offered in LG’s New Range of Mass-Tier 3G and LTE Smartphones At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), LG Electronics (LG) will unveil a new line of exceptional smartphones at exceptional prices with the introduction of mid-range handsets with …

After Cougar’s fully featured 700K mechanical keyboard & 700M aluminum gaming mouse were released in 2014, a streamlined mechanical 600K & ergonomic 600M followed close behind. It’s not surprising then, in early 2015, that Benchmark Reviews has the opportunity to take a closer look at Cougar’s newest gaming keyboard; the 500K.

As the size of information stored in the cloud grows increasingly larger, IT managers must plan on getting data out of the cloud when it’s critically needed during disaster recovery. For some businesses, the cloud is a place to deposit a second copy of data already retained locally. For others the cloud is primary storage, where unique data is created and modified. Problems arise in both cases: when local data is lost due to fire, flood, or theft, when the data is too large for a timely transfer across limited Internet bandwidth, or when a cloud provider shuts down. This all begs the question: is redundant data in place?

Violin Memory 7300 and 7700 Flash Storage Platform Announced Built on Concerto OS 7 with inline de-duplication engine deliver all-flash storage system at a cost lower than disk Violin Memory®, Inc., (NYSE: VMEM) a leading provider and pioneer of award-winning all-flash storage arrays, announced worldwide availability of the Flash Storage Platform™ (FSP), including the new 7300 and 7700 all …

Super Talent DuraDrive ZT4 Solid State Drive Announced An SSD build with reliability and performance in mind for commercial and industrial applications Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of NAND Flash storage solutions, announces its DuraDrive ZT4 solid state drive for commercial and industrial storage solutions. The DuraDrive ZT4 is the successor to the highly popular …

Amped Wireless TAP-R2 Touch Screen AC750 Wi-Fi Router Released Set up an ultra-fast, long range Wi-Fi connection in minutes with a few taps of your finger Amped Wireless, the leading manufacturer of high power, long range wireless solutions for the home and office, is shipping the next model in its TAP Series of Touch Screen Wi-Fi devices, the TAP-R2. …

EVGA continues their expansion into the peripherals market with the introduction of their TORQ peripherals line; today, we have the new EVGA Torq X5 Gaming Mouse to review. Benchmark Reviews has previously looked at the EVGA TORQ X10 Gaming Mouse and we liked it enough to give it our highest rating. The new X5 Gaming Mouse sacrifices a few features for a lower price point, but how does it perform? Let’s find out.

Fractal Design Silent Series R3 Fans Announced Introducing more layers of cool products Fractal Design announces the Silent Series R3 fan series, an upgraded fan construction revamping the current Silent Series fan lineup, delivering a balanced, sturdy design. The new Dynamic Series of fans bring forth a custom designed and engineered fan, with bold aerodynamic features …

LG Watch Urbane Smartwatch Debuts Elegant, Full Metal Smartwatch from LG Coming to MWC 2015 LG Electronics (LG) will unveil its first all-metal luxury Android Wear device, LG Watch Urbane, at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015. As its name suggests, the smartwatch is designed for a sophisticated and cosmopolitan wearer that delivers unparalleled technology and …

Corsair Hydro Series H100i GTX and H80i GT Liquid CPU Coolers Released Corsair®, a world leader in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the Hydro Series™ H100i GTX and H80i GT liquid CPU coolers. Like the H110i GT announced in January, the new coolers feature a next generation cooling block that provides more efficient cooling for CPU-intensive …